Slowik: 12 Southland schools recognized in U.S. News & World Report

District 230 Superintendent James Gay addresses a group of student advisers Thursday, April 27, 2017, at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. Sandburg is the top-ranked south suburban public high school for 2017, according to U.S. News & World Report.

District 230 Superintendent James Gay addresses a group of student advisers Thursday, April 27, 2017, at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. Sandburg is the top-ranked south suburban public high school for 2017, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Southland public high schools are significantly better represented in a new ranking of secondary education quality compared to a year ago.

Gathering input from stakeholders, communicating effectively and continuously working to improve outcomes are key factors contributing to the academic success of students in their districts, local superintendents said.

In its 2017 rankings released this week, U.S. News & World Report included at least 12 south and southwest suburban public high schools on its list of the top 100 in Illinois, compared to one school a year ago.

In 2016, Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort was ranked No. 75. This year, none of the three remaining Lincoln-Way high schools is ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

The top-ranked school in the Southland this year is Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, which placed No. 45 in Illinois. The two other schools in Consolidated High School District 230 also made the state's top 100, with Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills ranked No. 70 and Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park ranked No. 75 in the state.

"I think it's a collaboration of our teachers, our board, parents and the community," District 230 Superintendent James M. Gay said Thursday during a semi-annual student advisory gathering of about 75 students from the district's three schools. Student input influences decisions about curricular and extracurricular offerings, he said.

Thursday's session at Sandburg began with students conducting a team-building exercise.

"We don't dictate what they have to do," Gay said. "We work in tandem with everyone to provide the best experience. We don't work in isolation."

Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown

Joel John, a senior and Student Council president at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, addresses students from District 230's three schools April 27, 2017, during a gathering of about 75 student advisers to Superintendent James M. Gay.

Joel John, a senior and Student Council president at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, addresses students from District 230's three schools April 27, 2017, during a gathering of about 75 student advisers to Superintendent James M. Gay.

(Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)

Community High School District 218 also earned recognition for its three schools. Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn was ranked No. 62, Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights was ranked No. 68, and Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island was ranked No. 86 in the state.

Other Southland high schools making the U.S. News list of best in the state were Lemont at No. 48, Lockport East at No. 71, Evergreen Park at No. 78, Reavis in Burbank at No. 90, Southland College Prep in Richton Park at No. 95 and Oak Lawn at No. 97.

District 218 Superintendent Ty Harting, a Blue Island native and Eisenhower graduate, said this is the first time U.S. News has recognized district schools as among the state's best.

"I've known for a long time our schools are banging it out," Harting told me Thursday. "Our teachers do a phenomenal job."

U.S. News changed its methodology for rankings this year to place more weight on pupil achievement in schools with higher populations of low-income and minority students.

In its methodology, U.S. News said it first looked at student performance on state-required tests during the 2014-2015 school year. Schools had to perform better than statistically expected on standardized tests in their state, given their student poverty levels, to make it to the next step.

The reason Lincoln-Way schools are unranked this year is District 210 included freshmen during its first year administering the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC exam, district officials told me. The state eliminated the test after just two years.

"My only struggle with the rankings is the elimination of many top schools based solely on the performance of one class — freshmen — in the first year of PARCC, and the first time many had experienced online testing," said Tim Reilly, District 210's assistant superintendent for curriculum.

"We are also really happy for several schools in our area who were named to the U.S. News list," Reilly added. "We know teachers and administrators at these other area schools who are among the best in the business, and it's high time that they were recognized for the great work they do."

Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown

Students who advise District 230 Superintendent James M. Gay take part in a team-building exercise involving a web of yarn during a gathering of student advisers on April 27, 2017, at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park.

Students who advise District 230 Superintendent James M. Gay take part in a team-building exercise involving a web of yarn during a gathering of student advisers on April 27, 2017, at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park.

(Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)

U.S. News said schools that made it past the first step of standardized-test scores were then judged on the performance of poor and minority students.

"Then, schools were evaluated on whether their least-advantaged students — those of black, Hispanic and low-income backgrounds — performed at or better than the state average," U.S. News said.

Illinois School Report Card data shows 100 percent of District 218's 5,383 students meet low-income qualifications. The district's diverse population includes 35.6 percent black, 31.7 percent Hispanic and 29.6 percent white students. Sixteen percent of the district's pupils are students with disabilities.

"We address not just the academic, but also the social and emotional lives of our students — the whole child," Harting said. "You need stability to perform well in the classroom. That's been a real source of emphasis for us."

The third step in the U.S. News rankings required schools that passed the first two steps to have a graduation rate of at least 75 percent. In a fourth and final step, U.S. News looked at how well schools prepared students for college based on participation in and performance on Advanced Placement exams.

"We've had a major push to increase AP participation," Harting said. "In the past five years we've more than doubled AP participation, while our success rate has remained stable," meaning the percentage of students passing AP exams has been constant.

District 218's mission and goals include nurturing the "whole child," setting high expectations for students and staff, creating a safe and healthy environment, fostering meaningful engagement and implementing a rigorous curriculum.

"A lot of different people contribute to our mission," Harting said. "Our high schools are like little cities. We never sleep. We're 24/7."

Seven of the state's top 10 public high schools in the 2017 U.S. News rankings are in Chicago, with Northside College Prep rated No. 1. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire was the top-ranked suburban school and No. 6 in the state.

U.S. News & World Report is among several outlets that rank high schools. Niche, an online publication, released its rankings of top Illinois schools in late March.

Southland high schools among the state's top 100 in the Niche rankings included Sandburg at No. 42, Lincoln-Way West at No. 47, Lincoln-Way East at No. 51, Homewood-Flossmoor at No. 55, Lemont at No. 57, Andrew at No. 60, Evergreen Park at No. 64, the now-closed Lincoln-Way North at No. 67, Lockport East at No. 69, Stagg at No. 79, Lincoln-Way Central at No. 92 and Shepard at No. 99.

Newsweek and Chicago magazines are expected to announce their annual school rankings in August.